Grease Monkey
by inu-spike
Summary: Naruto's just a working man trying to get by, but something unforeseen happens to turn his happy little life upside-down. Rated for language and sexual content in later chapters. Main pairing to be determined, but will be yaoi.
1. Kyuubi

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the affiliated characters, nor do I make any money from this work of fiction.

Warning: This is an AU fic. Non-cannon is kind of the theme here, so please don't be offended by what you read. It will contain multiple different pairings of the Homo/Het variety. No likey? No read-y. That simple. This chapter doesn't contain anything of the graphic nature, so you're good... for now. Also, this is non-Beta'd, so please pardon any gramarical mistakes. ^^

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Kyuubi

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The sounds of ratchets turning, pistons firing and torque wrenches drowned out the grease smeared radio sitting on the work table; playing the local rock station at a moderate level. To the left of the radio, two black-coverall clad men, also littered in streaks of grease and slime, joked around an ever empty water-cooler. The "Akatsuki" auto shop was full this time of year; summer was just beginning and what they termed "Radiator Season" had begun. Already there were four cars lined up on the blocks; only two of them being serviced at the moment.

The garage was large; having enough room for the four servicing stations as well as the office, a waiting room for the clientele, and a back room for his workers (where they had installed lockers to hold onto their extra-coveralls and clean clothes to wear to and from home). They also had two bathrooms along the back wall; one specifically for customers (kept constantly clean by Deidara) and the other equipped with a shower for the mechanics (no one wanted to ride in his own car with sludge dripping off of them).

On the whole, the interior of the garage was the light grey of unpainted cement. Along the back wall ran a long counter covered with rags and discarded parts packages. The counter was separated between each station with large, red and black tool boxes. And as covered in filth as everything else was, these were still as pristine as the day they were ordered.

The bay doors were open, trying to invite a breeze that didn't exist. Three industrial fans blew from strategic points by the doors; bringing in new air and letting the fumes escape. Their noise nearly covered the sounds of outrage that flowed from one side of the building.

The office on the far side of the garage was a flurry of phone calls, paying customers, people waiting for appointments, and those that had been towed into the shop. The owner, a large, odd-skinned man by the name of Kisame, stood off to the side as his secretary, a friendly blond-headed man named Deidara, worked his way diligently through the madness.

The stations in the garage were already filled, but there was still a lineup of cars in the parking lot, and he could see another tow truck trying to squeeze in. He hated this time of year, to be honest. Sure, they got a lot of work, which meant a lot of money; but then, they also got the colorful spectrum of clients that felt they knew more about automobiles than the mechanics did.

His sharpened teeth grit together as he heard the currently paying customer complain about his bill. "How could it cost $1400!? All you had to do was get rid of the banging noise!" Deidara smiled placatingly at the irate man. "Sir, we had to replace two of your engine valves. It is a very costly procedure, yeah. We had to put in a special order for the part and it took several workers to complete the job in a timely manner, un. If you don't wish to pay the bill, we have full right to keep the car for services rendered, yeah."

Kisame pretended to cough so that he could hide his smirk behind his hand as the man's face turned a brilliant red and he sputtered. He opened his mouth, fully intent on complaining, when Kisame decided enough was enough. "Is there a problem here?" He stepped from the shadowy corner of the office, his deep voice reverberating around the portly man.

The customer's face went from red to pink; growing paler and paler as his eyes rose higher and higher; his pallor ghostly white when he finally reached Kisame's eyes at a towering seventy-nine inches. The man choked and coughed as he hastened to pull out his checkbook. "You take checks, right?" he squeaked to Deidara, receiving a beaming smile and nod from the blonde man. Feeling his quota for office time fulfilled, Kisame exited into the garage.

"Get back to work, you lazy assholes! That front end ain't gonna align itself!" He barked in a raspy baritone to his two wayward employees. With a dismissive wave of hand, the men walked off; going to their respective projects, but continuing the conversation that had been having. Kisame ran both dirt-smudged hands down his face, unknowingly covering the tattoos of gills one either side.

He loved the men that worked for him, he really did; saw them all as a second family, as a matter of fact. But sometimes he just wanted to whap a few of them in the side of the head with a monkey-wrench. He smiled a shark toothed grin though as he saw the banter going back and forth between his workers; each one trying to out-do the other in a seemingly endless battle of insults.

His shortbread colored eyes scanned the noisy garage, coming to rest on a pair of legs encased in blue sticking out from under one of the cars. He walked closer on silent feet, already knowing which of his boys it was and knowing that 'his' reaction would be the best. With the subtlety of an elephant on a pair of roller-skates, he slammed his hand down onto the work bench directly in front of the mid-sized sedan being attended to. His efforts for stealth were not in vain as he heard the mechanic bang his head on the undercarriage.

"FUCK!" came the scream from under the car before the man it came from slid out into the open. Kisame burst into roaring laughter at the sight of enraged blue eyes; though he discretely checked to make sure the young man hadn't actually hurt himself. Normally vibrant blond hair was matted down under a dirty orange bandana and the whiskers on his cheeks were concealed with copious amounts of the same familiar engine sludge.

"What the fuck, Shark-man?! You want me to screw this up or somethin'?!" Off to the side the two could hear the muffled laughter of the other mechanics. The irritated blonde threw a towel in their direction, pegging the green haired man closest to him. "Shut it, Zetsu! It's not that damn funny!" Zetsu continued to laugh and tossed the towel into the heavily pierced face of the man working on the mini-van with him. "Pein was laughing too, kid. Don't get pissy at me." His voice was the thing children's nightmares were made of, but the smile on his face softened the terrifying quality… a bit.

Pein removed the towel and used it to wipe his hands off; using it as an excuse to keep from having to work on the piece of junk presented to him. He hated mini-vans. They were built on a completely obsolete frame and always smelled funky. He blamed the parents. The red-head working on an oil change for the SUV beside Zetsu and Pein lifted an eyebrow. "You know it is, Naruto. You laughed when Kisame did the same thing to Hidan just yesterday."

The loud clang of a socket-wrench filled the room as the last mechanic popped out from beneath the luxury sedan at the, so properly named, "Cleanish" end of the shop. "You fucking did you little bastard! I fucking heard you over the fucking ringing in my ears from hitting my head so fucking hard!" Blue eyes rolled at the silver headed man as Naruto got back down on the dolly.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for reminding us all, Sasori, you're a real pal," he sighed, "Whatever. I just want to get this done on time." He said as he rolled himself back into position. Kisame snickered as Hidan cursed again, throwing down his own towel and calling out that he would be taking his lunch. The large man squatted down beside the car, "So what's up kid? Why're you in such a hurry today?"

Another sigh came from hidden blond, a hand reaching out to grab a recently unpacked transmission belt before disappearing again. "I just want to be able to clean up before I go get Kyu for once. Y'know I don't like getting this shit on 'im." Kisame smiled at the quiet admission, taking a glance over to one of the few framed photos hanging on the wall of the garage.

In the picture sat his entire crew and their family members at the most recent "company picnic". They had managed to arrange themselves on a park bench and got a random passerby to snap the shot. On the bench sat Pein's blue haired, steel-eyed wife, Konan. In her hair, a gorgeous origami flower primly sat. On her left sat the shop's accountant, Kakuzu. The man looked as impeccable as always in his black and grey suit; his sharp, nearly white eyes trained intensely on the camera, even as a smile tugged on the corner of his perpetually split lip.

To Kakuzu's left sat Hidan, his silver hair not slicked back for once and wearing a clean shirt. He had his right arm draped across the back of the bench as he laughed at his co-workers. His left hand was raised and his fingers were curled, the picture taken while he was waving at the giggling red-head sitting in Naruto's lap.

To Konan's right sat Naruto, free of all the dirt and grime that normally hid his shining features, with a wide grin on his face and a little boy, age seven or eight, in his lap. The boy's bright green eyes were nearly eclipsed by his own eyelids as his cheeks rose in grin to match the man he was sitting upon. Wild, bright red hair stuck up in every direction, also matching the blond locks of the man holding him.

Behind those four stood the other five members of the "company"; Kisame was resting a large, blue tinted hand on Naruto's shoulder while he laughed at something Zetsu had said. Zetsu was rubbing an elbow into Pein's side even as the man had his arms wrapped around his wife's shoulders, and Sasori stood with an arm draped across Deidara's middle, a small smile on his face as he listened to the blond laugh.

He shifted his focus back down to the blond man under the car. He heaved an exaggerated sigh as he rose to his feet. "Well, there's no helpin' it then. Naruto, you're off for the rest of the day." The dolly slid out so fast he barely even had time to blink before watery blue eyes were right in front of him. "Really, boss?!" Filthy tan hands were folded together under his nose as Naruto struck the, ever-so-lovingly-called, "OMG Please?!" pose.

Kisame made a great show out of running his hand through his blue tinted locks and sighing over-dramatically; but he couldn't hide the grin that came charging onto his face. "Yeah, just tell the brat that you're gonna be working extra hard over the next few days." The grin widened as Naruto let out a 'whoop' and ran out of the open garage area and into the back room.

"Oi, boss, what's up with him?" He turned toward the green topped man and answered even as he lowered himself onto the dolly. "Sent him home early's all." An incredulous snort came from Sasori. "The picture got you again, didn't it?" Kisame laughed heartily and got to work, the rest of his men following his example; each with their own smiles well hidden.

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Naruto smiled softly as he stood outside of his dark red SUV in front of the elementary school building. His blue eyes stared off into the distance aimlessly until a quiet 'woof' sounded at his side. Looking down, he was caught in the dark brown gaze of his dear black lab, Sebastian. The large dog's tail wagged briefly before the animal turned back to watching the entrance of the school.

A clean tan hand reached down to fondle the over-sized canine's ears, earning a groan for his efforts. A positively wicked smile turned Naruto's lips but he didn't get the chance to act out whatever thoughts had caused such an expression, as the bell rang and children came pouring out of the building like water over a recently broken dam.

Sharp blue eyes focused every so often on random passersby; waiting to see a head of shocking red. Just as he spotted it, the owner of said head spotted him and came running over with a gleeful smile upon his young face.

"Daddy!!" the boy cried, throwing himself into the arms of the blonde and relishing in the feeling of being twirled around. His joyous laughter escaped into the air, causing his father's own to join in. Sebastian barked as he jumped around the pair; the whole affair looking to an outsider as if this family had never been whole, when in fact Naruto had dropped the boy off that morning.

"Mr. Uzumaki! Mr. Uzumaki!" Naruto looked up as his name was shouted, putting his son back down on the sidewalk. A frown marred his handsome features when the boy immediately went to hide behind his legs; a behavior he knew only existed when his son was in trouble, or had caused someone else trouble.

"Hello, Mrs. Yuuhi, how can I help you?" he asked the dark haired woman cautiously, one never knew what to expect when a teacher hailed them from across the lawn. Kurenai Yuuhi straightened out her dress, which had gotten a bit wrinkled in her trek over, and looked at him with piercing red eyes.

"I have tried to get in contact with you all day today. Your work said you had left early, but you did not answer your house phone." Naruto winced at the reproachful tone, excuses popping up and dying in his head. What could he tell her? 'Sorry, I took the afternoon off so that I could get the grocery shopping done, clean the house, and take the first REAL shower I've had in days?' Yeah, that wouldn't go over well with his son's teacher.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Yuuhi. I was… indisposed for most of the day." Her normally beautiful face soured and she looked down her nose at him, even though he had almost a full head over her. "I am aware that you are young, Mr. Uzumaki. But I would have thought you'd spare a bit more maturity for your son."

Naruto gaped at her, completely taken aback. He was ready to let her have it, but small hands fisting into his pants leg stopped him. He looked down at his son, only to be caught in watery green eyes. Ignoring the aggravated woman in front of him, Naruto knelt down to wipe away tears that had yet to fall.

"Shh, Kyuubi. It's okay. Daddy's here, alright? It's okay." He pulled the sniffling child into his arms, then stood. "Mrs. Yuuhi," he spoke, his tone icy and his eyes matching, beside him, Sebastian growled, "If you're done insulting me and upsetting my son, what is it that you wanted?"

Kurenai at least had the decency to look ashamed at her actions. What had she been thinking? Nearly verbally attacking a parent in front of their child. It didn't matter what her personal feelings were on the matter of Naruto's age, she should never had done that. "Uh-hm, yes," she cleared her throat and looked away, now aware that they had drawn a small crowd of parents, none of which looked too happy with her.

"The school will be having Back to School Night next Tuesday night, from six to eight pm. It is mandatory attendance and we had yet to receive Kyuubi's formed, signed by you, stating that you would be there." Naruto continued to stare icily at her but nodded his head in understanding.

"I see," he finally said at length, "Will it be alright if I just verbally said I was gonna go?" Kurenai shook her head in the affirmative, wanting nothing more than to get out of the limelight. She just knew her colleagues were going to have a field day with this.

Naruto nodded again and a short smile came to his lips. "Then we'll be there Tuesday night, won't we, Kyuubi?" He nudged the huddled figure resting on his chest and shoulder getting a somewhat frantic nod in return. With a last tilt of his head, Naruto turned away from the educator and opened the passenger door of his vehicle.

Sebastian hopped up into the bed as he finished securing Kyuubi in his booster seat. He closed the door to the vehicle softly, not wanting to jostle the precious cargo inside. Sliding into the driver's seat, he turned the ignition and laughed along with Kyuubi in pleasure to the V-8 engine's purr.

He pulled slowly away from the curb, then made his way into traffic. He glanced at his smiling son from his peripheral and sang along to the song on the tape with the little boy. 'My little boy, my little Kyuubi.'

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End Chapter One

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Author's Note At The Bottom!!

So, hi everybody. ^^ While I'm still working on the update for "Just For Us" this little guy has been clogging my head for the past few days. Excellent news in regards to it... chapter two is already half-way done! *gasps* I know, isn't that just ludicrous. I never thought I'd see the day. heehee

Anyway, this story has potential (in my mind at least) and that gives me hope that I'll actually be willing to sit down and finish it (for my regular peeps this is another gasp moment). So, I hope you enjoyed this little intro/chapter, the ones to come should be longer, adn if not, more frequent updates. ^^

As always, please review, I love the feedback.


	2. Messenger

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the affiliated characters, nor do I make any money from this work of fiction.

Warning: This is an AU fic. Non-cannon is kind of the theme here, so please don't be offended by what you read. It will contain multiple different pairings of the Homo/Het variety. No likey? No read-y. That simple. This chapter doesn't contain anything of the graphic nature, so you're good... for now.

Also, this is non-Beta'd, so please pardon any gramarical mistakes. ^^

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Messenger

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Sunday mornings in the Uzumaki household were typically slow and quiet. Being that it was his only day off, Naruto opted to sleep in while Kyuubi made himself a bowl of cereal then watched cartoons or played with Sebastian. By the time noon rolled around, Naruto would be awake and fixing lunch for his son. Both would sit down at the kitchen table to eat their meal in a companionable silence, until, inevitably, one of them would crack a joke or start telling the other about the happenings of the week.

This Sunday morning, however, was different from all the others. Instead of sleeping in, Naruto was on the phone, arguing in a hushed voice so as to not wake Kyuubi. He gripped the white receiver tightly in his hand and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the plastic crack a bit.

"I don't care who the fuck you work for, I am not uprooting my family just because your boss thinks it's a good idea. You can tell the guy to go fuck himself." He listened as the monotone voice on the other end of the phone continued to drone out the same lines he had already said.

"My apologies, Mr. Uzumaki. But Mr. Namekaze will not be taking no for an answer. He has asked that you be retrieved and brought to him. He has a few questions he would like to ask you that are of a sensitive nature and cannot be discussed over a telephone."

The voice was deep and chilling and had Naruto been in any other mood, he would have found it closer to terrifying than the mollifying the man might have been going for. As it was, he was starting to hate it. "Listen," he sighed, "I have a lot to do this week. Do you think his majesty can wait until next Saturday or something? I just can't leave right now."

"I do not think you quite understand, Mr. Uzumaki. You presence is requested immediately, someone will be there to pick you up on Monday. Please be prepared by then." The voice spoke with a tone of finality, nearly daring Naruto to protest.

"What the fuck?" He said into the phone, but it was already too late; the caller had hung up. He slammed the receiver down with more force than he had intended and looked at the small matchbook-notepad he kept by the phone in case he needed to jot something down to remember later. _Fugaku Uchiha_ stared back at him in his own chicken scratch handwriting. Sebastian watched this from his place at the foot of Naruto's bed, in the room just across the hall from where the phone was located.

Before he could stand there and contemplate the name any longer, a red blur flew at him and attached itself to his legs. "Daddy!" the blur cried, looking up at him with sparkling green eyes, "Can we have pancakes, Daddy? Please, please, please!?" He was holding an old, stuffed orange fox tightly between his body and Naruto's leg.

The fox, Kyu-kyu, had been given to Kyuubi by his doting godmother, Konan. Though the woman was fierce and had a hard exterior, she loved to spoil the young boy every time she saw him. When she and Pein had gotten married, Kyuubi had played ring-bearer along with Sebastian. Normally not one to show emotions, Konan had openly wept with joy when the minister had pronounced the couple.

It was a few months later, after several failed attempts to conceive, that Konan was informed that she was sterile. She was heartbroken and not even Pein could bring her out of her depression. A short time after that, Naruto took Kyuubi with him to go visit the distraught woman, hoping that maybe they could help cheer her up.

As soon as the five year old caught sight of the blue haired woman, he launched into her lap, snuggling into her as he babbled on about how some of the new kids at school had been making fun of him. Instead of pushing the boy away, Konan clutched him closely and silently cried. Kyuubi was startled by the tears and, like any curious child, asked why she was crying.

"I'm never going to be a mommy," she told him brokenly, finally confirming out loud what she had kept in her chest for several painful months. The red-head tilted and green eyes narrowed a bit in confusion. "But, I don't have a mommy," he said, a smile coming to his face suddenly, "You can be my mommy! Then, you will be a mommy and you won't be sad anymore!"

Konan looked into those brightly shining, innocent eyes and couldn't stop a smile from coming to her own face. "I can't be your mommy, but I can be your Godmommy." Kyuubi's face turned into confusion personified and the steel-eyed woman laughed for the first time since she received the news of her barrenness.

From that day forth, Konan made sure that Kyuubi had everything he could ever possibly need. When it looked like Naruto wasn't going to have enough for the bills that month, Konan would stop by to cook and offered to watch Kyuubi for free after school, as opposed to Naruto sending him to a daycare center. She didn't need to work, her family fortune making sure of that, but she assisted Kakuzu in the shop's finances; making it so that she always knew when any of the workers needed a little extra help.

Kyu-Kyu had been Kyuubi's gift from her for his sixth birthday and hadn't left the little boy's side since then. Though, Naruto was adamant about Kyuubi not taking the toy outside and often watched as Kyuubi would place the fox in the window sill so that it could look over him as he played in the yard.

Naruto grinned at the boy, leaning down to lift him onto his hip as he made his way to the kitchen; Sebastian following behind them at a leisurely pace. As Naruto set about making the requested pancakes, he set Kyuubi down and watched as the little boy attacked the lazy black dog with gusto, squealing with laughter every time a slimy pink tongue came in contact with his face; trying to block with Kyu-Kyu to no avail.

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Monday morning dawned foggy in Kusagakure; being bordered by Takigakure made sure of that. The sound of an alarm clock shrieking broke the relative silence of the freshly lighted day and Naruto groaned as he rolled out of bed, nearly kissing the floor with his face when his leg got caught in his bedspread. He raised his arms above his head in a languid stretch, groaning again as he felt several joints pop.

Turning his head slightly, Naruto slowly took in the noise of the alarm clock and the time it displayed. 6:30 am looked back at him in blindingly red lights, threatening to take out his retina and bash his occipital lobe with them. He slammed his hand down on the snooze and snorted with satisfaction when the plastic gave an ominous crack.

He stumbled his way towards the bathroom attached to his bedroom, nearly tripping over the pile of fur that signified Sebastian's current unconscious state. The dog's feet twitched and a small 'woof' escape him, telling Naruto's sleep addled brain that the large animal was, once again, chasing after something just out of his reach.

The remainder of the trek continued on without any more possible obstacles, though Naruto would have been more than happy to fall back into his warm and comfortable bed. Before he could get into the shower to begin his morning routine, however, there was a series of sharp raps at his front door.

Grumbling under his breath about inconsiderate, early rising bastards, Naruto redirected himself down the hallway and towards the front door. Without giving any thought to what he might, or might not, have been wearing, Naruto flung the door open; mouth open and insult on his tongue.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" the smartly dressed man on the small porch took a step back, his apprehension clear in his voice. Blue eyes blinked a few times rapidly before the haze of sleep lifted from them. They began to blink owlishly as Naruto realized there was actually a person on his front step.

The man blinked at Naruto's appearance, not quite prepared for the sight of the mostly naked blonde; clad only in his boxers with sleep mused hair and bleary eyes. A blush rose on his face and it took Naruto a moment to process where the man's eyes were stuck.

With a sheepish grin and a hand behind his head, Naruto let out a nervous laugh; the action causing his abdominal muscles to contract, making the large spiral tattoo on his stomach move, and the blush on the other man's face to spread.

"Uh, yes?" he answered belatedly, still a bit confused at the man's presence. The young man flushed harder under the dazed scrutiny, then pulled a folded sheet of paper from the inside pocket of his blazer. "Oh, um, I was sent to pick you up. Um, Mr. Uchiha had it all arranged yesterday. He said he had already spoken with you."

All thoughts of sleep flew from Naruto's mind, the confusion now replaced with anger. "What did you just say?" The man on the front step moved back a bit, a bead of sweat rolling along his temple as he swallowed nervously.

"Um, well… I'm from the Kusagakure ride service. Our office received a call yesterday about a pickup today. Mr. Uchiha paid in full for me to pick you up and take you to the airport, uh, sir." The man fiddled nervously with his chaffier hat, diligently keeping his eyes averted from Naruto's flashing blue.

Naruto growled loudly, tempted to slam the door in the man's face. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tried to calm down. It wasn't the driver's fault that some crazy jackass wanted to see him, with no regard for his life and schedule.

"Dude, I'm sorry but I'm not going anywhere. You're just gonna have to tell your boss or whatever that the 'job' has been canceled." He rubbed the back of his head with a frown on his lips. He really did feel bad for the poor guy standing on his front porch, but there was no way he'd let a little bit of guilt move him from his decision.

He nodded one last time and shut the door; wincing when the man outside let out a small squeak that he figured had to be a protest. He leaned against the metal door for a few moments longer, then sighed and headed towards the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. It looked like his shower was going to have to be cut extremely short on this day.

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It was always such a production getting Kyuubi to school in the morning. Between Naruto having to rush to get the boy out of bed and ready for the day and the outrageous driving of the other parents, it was almost like preparing oneself for war every time they turned down the little side street that led to the main drop off and pick up spot.

Naruto cursed silently as yet another car cut him off, then again when he had to slam on the breaks for a mother and her children that had decided not to let the crossing guard do her job. He looked into the review mirror when he heard a peel of delighted laughter from the back seat.

Kyuubi loved riding to school with his dad in the morning. It was the best way to start the day. Well, that and when his dad made cinnamon-apple pancakes for breakfast for him. That was truly the best way to start any day. But the driving was a close second.

He laughed again as Naruto maneuvered their SUV to the front of the line, still silently cursing about crosswalks and women in bathrobes. "Kyuubi," Naruto called as he turned around in his seat to face his son, "Can you get out on your own, or do you want me to do it?"

Kyuubi sat up straighter in his seat and puffed his small chest out with indignation. "I'm eight now, Daddy. I can do it myself!" He felt a wave of pride wash over him at the size of his father's smile and hurried to get himself out of the safety belt.

With the belt off and full motion restored, Kyuubi leaned up between the front seats and gave Naruto a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you after school. Right, Daddy?" Naruto turned further in the seat to kiss Kyuubi on his red crown, whispering an "I love you" along with his confirmation.

Affection achieved, Kyuubi opened the door and climbed down from the SUV; unaware of the sharp blue eyes watching his descent carefully, ready to leap over the seats if he were to slip or fall. Kyuubi waved cheerily one last time before shutting the door and running up to Mrs. Yuuhi; already happily chattering away to the woman, completely forgetting the scene she had made the Friday previous.

He smiled as the teacher took Kyuubi's hand delicately and led him into the building. He came back to reality when the sounds of angry horns burst through his daydream. He cursed again, out loud now that sensitive ears were no longer around, and pulled out into the flow of other cars; sighing as he made his way to work.

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End Chapter Two

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Author's Note At The Bottom!!

Sooo, heehee sorry for the late update. I've rewritten this chapter so many times over the past couple of… months.

A few edits have been made to chapter one, just so everyone knows. Also, I don't think I mentioned this, but the whole Kurenai incident took place on a Friday; which is why this chapter starts off on a Sunday. Yes, I skipped Saturday, but you really didn't miss anything. ^^

I'm working on chapter three right now and… the next chapter of "Just For Us" is already written and waiting for inspection. AND!! My new story is making me very happy, which means that it will actually be up sometime in the near future.

Anyway, as always, please review. I love feedback.

--inu_spike


	3. Decision Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the affiliated characters, nor do I make any money from this work of fiction.

Warning: This is an AU fic. Non-cannon is kind of the theme here, so please don't be offended by what you read. It will contain multiple different pairings of the Homo/Het variety. No likey? No read-y. That simple. This chapter doesn't contain anything of the graphic nature, so you're good... for now.

Also, this is non-Beta'd, so please pardon any grammatical mistakes. ^^

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Decision Time

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Naruto frowned as he parked in the shop's back lot, right next to a very familiar green VW microbus. His eyebrows furrowed down as he stepped out of the SUV carrying a clean pair of coveralls under his arm. He gripped the metal handle of the garage's back door with his free hand and was greeted by a chorus of guffaws.

Blue eyes crinkled as a grin spread across the blonde's face at the sight of his co-workers in varying states of comical disarray: Hidan and Deidara were leaning back-to-back in order to sty standing; Sasori was biting his lower lip in an effort to keep in an uncharacteristic show of mirth; Kisame was doubled over laughing, holding his sides as he gasped for breath; lastly, Zetsu and Pein both sat on the lounge's couch trying to catch their own breath.

A blond brow rose and Naruto's head tilted in confusion. "What the hell are you guys doing? Are where's the old man? I saw his piece of shit bus outside." In retrospect, he should have known what was going to happen next. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

As such, being so preoccupied with the condition his friends were in, Naruto was completely unguarded against the wet finger that found its way into his unprotected ear. With a loud, "**AHHHH!**", Naruto found himself sprawled out on his ass, staring up at the man who now crowed, "Wet Willy!".

"Ero-sennin?! The fuck?!" he scowled at the laughing white haired man. Jaraiya Sennin was a perverted old trickster who chased younger women and wrote smut novels for a living. He was also the closest thing to a father Naruto had ever had.

Jaraiya was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. He had evenly tanned skin; a darker, richer version of Naruto's own tan, as if he spent the majority of his time outside. He wore his long, spiky white hair in a low pony-tail and was known for whipping people with it like a Cat-o-Nine.

He had persistent grin on his lips and odd red lines tattooed down his face; starting from under his lower eye-lids and extending to under his jaw line. There was a constant glimmer in his black irises; an almost leer-like look permanently glued to his face.

Naruto paused himself from further berating the man when he noticed the unusual way in which he was dressed. Now, normally, Jaraiya wearing anything more than just his designer boxer-briefs was a welcome relief for the blond. But, for the old man to break out one of his beloved black-pin striped Armani suits… Something was wrong.

All pretenses of humor had drained from Jaraiya's face when he noticed the assessing quality of Naruto's gaze. "Hey kid, we've gotta talk." Naruto nodded grimly, getting to his feet and passing his clean uniform over to Kisame. The others watched in silence as the two men made their way out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~*

Jaraiya smoked his pipe as they sat on the curb outside of the shop. Both men watched as car after car pulled into the service area and front parking lot of the garage. Naruto grimaced as he fidgeted with his jeans, waiting for the other to speak.

The older man sighed out a puff of smoke after a few more moments of tense silence, he needed to word this just right. "A Fugaku Uchiha called me this morning." The blond whipped his head around to look at Jaraiya, blue eyes wide with surprise.

Jaraiya nodded, "Yeah, he was asking about you. Said that he talked to you yesterday, but you were, how did he put it?, quite a bit obstinate. He wants me to somehow convince you that going to Konoha would be a good idea."

Naruto snarled softly, showing off his slightly sharper than normal canines. Jaraiya winced on the inside at the site of them, remembering just _who _Naruto inherited them from. "That self-righteous, pretentious dick. What right does he have fucking calling you about me?" "Calm down, kid. This isn't the first time Fugaku's called me. Just the first time about you." "What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

The white-haired one took another puff from his pipe before elaborating. "He works with and for one of my best students." Naruto snarled again, rage choking his words, "Minato. Namikaze." The smoke exploded from Jaraiya's mouth in an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, him. He wants to meet you, Naruto. He deserves a chance to get to know you, and your son."

"Fuck that!" Naruto leaped to his feet and began pacing on the asphalt like a caged beast. "That asshole doesn't deserve _shit. _What's he ever done for me, huh? Nothing! If it weren't for him, m-mom would've never suffered like she did." Jaraiya was unsuccessful at hiding his wince at that. Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was an incredibly touchy subject for the boy—everyone who knew Naruto, knew that.

~*~*~*~*~*

Kushina had been a wild woman in her youth; vibrant red hair and dancing, spitfire eyes. Originally a member of _Uzu no Kuni*_, Kushina's family fled when civil war threatened to tear the country apart. It was a chance encounter with Minato Namikaze in Konohagakure that changed Kushina's life forever more.

Minato was an up and coming business man, making his fortune with hard work and dedication. But, he was still only a young man. The two spent weeks in each other's company, getting to know one another and falling deeper in love with every day that passed. It wasn't until the eve of the Uzumaki Clan's departure from the Village of the Leaves that Kushina discovered that she was pregnant.

She did not tell Minato; instead, she left him a note explaining her condition and why she decided to keep it a secret. She left the next day, not knowing that she would never talk to her lover ever again.

When her family discovered that she was with child, she was disowned and cast out of the village in which they had settled. She wandered from town to town, trying to find a place that would take in the unmarried, pregnant disgrace of the Uzumaki Clan.

She found such a place in Kusagakure. She got a job in the local market—owned by an elderly man by the name of Hiruzen Sarutobi, a former doctor from Konoha. He was a kind old man who hired her after taking one look at her baby-swollen stomach. Two months later, he was the doctor that delivered Naruto.

As time passed, Kushina and Naruto became part of Sarutobi's family and Kushina was eventually hired on as a secretary to Jaraiya. Jaraiya treated the young woman like the daughter he'd never had and spoiled Naruto as any grandfather would.

But Kushina's vivaciousness began to wane and her bubbly personality seemed to pop. She often held her hands to her chest—pained expression pinching her otherwise beautiful face—as if her heart were hurting. Jaraiya and Sarutobi both expressed their concerns for her health, but the fiery red-head would hear nothing of it and continued to press forth.

~*~*~*~*~*

When Naruto was eleven, though, Kushina suddenly became horribly ill and ran a terrible fever. Tests showed that Kushina had been silently suffering with breast cancer. She had refused to go to the doctor because it was too costly—her wages made her unable to afford such a luxury as medical insurance. When she finally could not stand the pain any longer she checked herself into the local clinic. However, by the time she went in and had the tests done, it was too late.

Both Jaraiya and Sarutobi tried to help as much as they could, but nothing could be done. Kushina got progressively worse and worse and young Naruto had to watch as his mother withered away. Kushina was wrought with horrendous pain until the day she died; gasping and clutching to Naruto's hand, whispering "Happy Birthday" as her sputtered to a halt.

~*~*~*~*~*

Naruto's reluctance to see his father was palpable, but Jaraiya persevered. "I know, I know. But it's not like he knew any of that. Hell, according to the Uchiha, Minato didn't even know he had a kid until just recently."

Naruto kicked angrily at a piece of trash lying in the gutter, the poster child for petulance. "So I'm supposed to forgive him just 'cause he didn't know? Fuck that. If he loved her so much, how come he didn't go looking for her, huh? Sleezy asshole, probably said he was in love just to get in her-"

Jaraiya's fist to his face stopped Naruto from finishing his statement. The blond stumbled back a few steps from the force of the hit. He shook his head and looked at the other man in bewilderment, not sure when the other had even stood from his seat on the curb.

"You shut your fucking mouth this instant, brat. You don't ever talk about your mother that way. I don't really give a damn about your daddy issues, but don't insult the woman who gave up everything for ya. Do you hear me?" Naruto looked down, a shamed blush spreading across his cheeks at the admonishment.

"Yeah, I hear ya. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I'm just, I, Ugh!" Naruto drew his hands through his hair in frustration. "What am I supposed to do about this, Jaraiya?!" He slumped down, back to sitting on the curb, rested his head in his hands and covered his eyes.

Jaraiya took another drag from his pipe, tapped the ashes out onto the ground, then settled a hand in Naruto's yellow locks. "You should do what you feel is right, kid. But, if it were me, I'd give the man a chance to get to know his son… and his grandson." He patted to downturned head once before walking away from the young man he saw as his own grandson.

The Uzumaki lifted his eyes to the sky that matched them; thinking. "Fuck." He groaned, and groaned again when he heard the tell-tale laughter of the older man from a few paces behind him. Looked like he and Kyuubi were going to Konohagakure.

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End!

*— This is the clan name that comes up for the Uzumaki's. Like, there's the last name and then there's the clan on the wholes name. That make any sense? If not, Narupedia it; that's what I did.

Author's Note At The Bottom!

Wow… that was incredibly short and took a long-ass time to get out. ^^; Super sorry about the wait on this one. I had it all written down (and it seemed much longer in handwriting than it is typed) but it took me _forever_ to find the time to sit down and type it up. Curse you, English papers!

Anyway, hopefully I'll have chapter four up before the end of the week. If not… well, I can at least say that I attempted it. ( lol Animesweetie07 will get this)


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